World’s top-ranked player, Jannik Sinner, advanced to the Madrid Open final after defeating Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 on Friday, maintaining his pursuit of a historic fifth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 title. The 24-year-old secured his 27th victory at the Masters 1000 level, having previously triumphed in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo in 2026.
Sinner joined an elite group, including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, as only the fourth player to reach the final of all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. He also became the youngest player to accomplish this feat. Expressing his satisfaction with his performance, Sinner stated during his on-court interview, “Very happy about the general performance today. I am trying to play the best possible tennis I can play, in this moment. Today was a very good day in the office.”
In pursuit of his second clay-court title this season, the Italian dominated the baseline rallies and cleverly incorporated drop shots to hand Fils his first defeat on clay this year. Although Fils put up a fight in the second set by varying his tactics, Sinner managed to secure the crucial break and close out the match in 85 minutes.
Reflecting on the match, Sinner commented, “I tried to play very aggressive. I felt very comfortable on return. In (the) second set, he started to serve better, so it became a bit difficult.” Acknowledging Fils’ talent, he added, “But I knew it before the match, he’s one of the best players in the world at the moment. I am very happy I’ve played against him. It means a lot to me.”
Sinner is set to face the winner of the second semi-final clash between two-time Madrid champion Alexander Zverev and Alexander Blockx in the final showdown on Sunday.
